Around the World in 20 Days

Ok. That posting title is as sensationalistic as a National Enquirer headline. Truth be told, I won't even be coming close to circling the globe. But I bet it caught your attention. If you read beyond the headline, you'll discover that Aviva and I have slightly more modest, yet extremely exciting, travel plans that will involve visiting a much smaller portion of the globe.

Aviva left for Germany yesterday afternoon where she'll spend a week visiting family. I'll meet up with her in Paris and we'’ll spend six days exploring the city before going to London for three days. Then, we will meet up with Aviva's parents in Southampton and the four of us will spend six days returning to New York City the long way, on board the Queen Mary 2. It all sounds too incredibly decadent to be true. Once again, I have Fred and Rita to thank for asking me to come along on what will surely turn out to be a fantastic adventure. As the week progresses, I will begin to frantically fill my suitcase, clean up the house for our house/pet sitter, prepare for a conference I'm attending in June, and clean up my office in preparation for my eviction (the one down-side of receiving the Ball fellowship--no office next year.).

My travel plans are complicated by the fact that I am heading directly to Guadalajara, Mexico for the Women and the Silent Screen conference from June 7-10. In fact, in order to save money on the plane ticket, I'm flying out of New York City two days after we return from the cruise. While Aviva, Rita, and Fred will head back to Rochester, I will stay in Brooklyn with my friends and then leave for Mexico on June 6th. The Susan B. Anthony Institute gave me a grant that will cover most of my ticket, but none of my hotel costs, so I'm trying to keep expenses to a minimum. Although I may be too exhausted to fully enjoy Guadalajara, I'm looking forward to seeing Mexico for the first time and I'm excited about attending a conference that will be populated by dozens of silent film geeks.

Just trying to pack the right clothes for such a diverse series of destinations should be a challenge. I watched Aviva struggle with this last week, contemplating what clothing would be appropriate for traipsing through Paris, walking around London, and partaking in the sometimes-formal events on a cruise ship. I have to add clothing that's both cool and appropriate for a professional conference. Actually, I envision myself presenting my paper in a skirt and flip flops! Ok. I'm off to do some writing. I'm hoping to get another 20-odd pages of my Gertrude Stein/Janet Flanner chapter written before I leave town.